Vacuum cleaner with displaceable height adjustment assembly and rotary agitator switch

ABSTRACT

A floor cleaning appliance includes a housing having a canister assembly and a nozzle assembly. A suction generator and a dirt collection vessel are carried on the housing. A suction inlet, a rotary agitator and a bare floor wiper are carried on the nozzle assembly. In addition the floor cleaning apparatus includes a switch for slowing or interrupting drive to the rotary agitator and a displaceable height adjustment assembly. The height adjustment assembly is displaceable between one or more carpet cleaning positions and a bare floor cleaning position. The height adjustment assembly engages the switch and slows or interrupts drive to the rotary agitator when in the bare floor cleaning position.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/615,776 filed on 4 Oct. 2004.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to the floor care equipment field and, more particularly, a floor cleaning apparatus equipped with a displaceable height adjustment assembly and a switch for interrupting the agitator drive.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Floor care cleaning equipment such as upright vacuum cleaners as well as extractors have long been known in the art. Such equipment is generally equipped with a suction generator including a fan and cooperating drive motor. Some of the devices are also equipped with a separate drive motor for a rotary agitator. Typically the rotary agitator is equipped with a series of bristle tufts, brushes, wipers, beater bars or the like that project from the rotary agitator. When the rotary agitator is rotated at a high speed these projecting structures produce a wind current. During bare floor cleaning, the resulting wind current may interfere with and prevent efficient drawing of dirt and debris into the suction inlet of the vacuum cleaner. Accordingly, many vacuum cleaners have been equipped with switches that allow the operator to interrupt the drive to the rotary agitator. Where the floor cleaning appliance is equipped with an agitator drive motor, this is accomplished by simply de-energizing that motor. Where the floor cleaning appliance is equipped with a single motor for driving the suction generator fan and the rotary agitator, this is accomplished by interrupting the power takeoff from that motor to the agitator.

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner equipped with a cooperating height adjustment assembly and switch which automatically slows or interrupts drive to the rotary agitator when the height adjustment assembly is positioned for bare floor cleaning.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the purposes of the present invention as described herein, a floor cleaning apparatus is provided. The floor cleaning apparatus includes a housing having a canister assembly and a nozzle assembly. A suction generator and a dirt collection vessel are both carried on the housing. The nozzle assembly includes a suction inlet and a rotary agitator is carried on the nozzle assembly adjacent that suction inlet. Further a bare floor wiper is carried on the nozzle assembly.

A switch for slowing or interrupting drive to that rotary agitator is also carried on the housing. Still further the floor cleaning apparatus includes a displaceable height adjustment assembly. The height adjustment assembly is displaceable between one or more carpet cleaning positions and a bare floor cleaning position. The height adjustment assembly engages the switch and slows or interrupts drive to the rotary agitator when in the bare floor cleaning position.

More specifically, the height adjustment assembly includes an actuator, a carriage and a pair of ground engaging wheels connected to the carriage. The carriage includes at least one cam follower and the actuator includes at least one cam for engaging the cam follower. In one possible embodiment of the invention the floor cleaning apparatus includes an agitator drive motor that is connected to the switch.

The dirt collection vessel may take the form of a porous filter bag or a dirt cup. In one possible embodiment the dirt cup includes a cylindrical sidewall and a tangentially directed inlet. A first filter may be provided in the dirt cup. A second filter may be provided downstream from the suction generator.

In accordance with an additional aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for controlling operation of a floor cleaning apparatus equipped with a rotary agitator, a bare floor wiper and a nozzle assembly. That method may be broadly described as including the step of providing the floor cleaning apparatus with a single control that simultaneously lowers an operating height of the nozzle assembly, moves the bare floor wiper into engagement with the floor and slows or interrupts drive to the rotary agitator.

Alternatively, the method may be described as including the single step of providing the floor cleaning apparatus with a single control that simultaneously lowers the nozzle assembly relative to the ground and slows or interrupts drive to the rotary agitator when placed in a bare floor cleaning position.

In the following description there is shown and described a preferred embodiment of this invention, simply by way of illustration, of one of the modes best suited to carry out the invention. As it will be realized, the invention is capable of other different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying drawing incorporated in and forming a part of this specification, illustrates several aspects of the present invention, and together with the description serves to explain certain principles of the invention. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the floor cleaning apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a detailed perspective view of one possible embodiment of the dirt collection vessel provided in the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b are schematical elevational views illustrating in detail the cooperating displaceable height adjustment assembly and switch that slow or interrupt the drive to the rotary agitator when the height adjustment assembly is placed in the bare floor cleaning position.

Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is now made to FIG. 1 which illustrates the vacuum cleaner 10 of the present invention. That vacuum cleaner 10 includes a housing 12 comprising both a nozzle assembly 14 and canister assembly 16. In the illustrated embodiment of an upright vacuum cleaner, the canister assembly 16 is pivotally connected to the nozzle assembly 14.

As further illustrated in FIG. 1, the nozzle assembly 14 includes a suction inlet 18. A rotary agitator 20 is carried by the nozzle assembly and extends across the suction inlet 18. A suction generator 22 is provided in a cavity of the canister assembly 16. The canister assembly 16 also carries a dirt collection vessel 24. In the illustrated embodiment the dirt collection vessel 24 comprises a dirt cup.

As best illustrated in FIG. 2 that dirt cup 24 may include a cylindrical sidewall 21 and a tangentially directed inlet 23 in order to establish cyclonic airflow in the dirt cup. A filter 25 may be provided over the axially aligned outlet 27 of the dirt cup 24 which communicates with the suction generator 22. In such an embodiment, the cyclonic flow of the air tends to force dirt and debris toward the cylindrical sidewall 21 while clean air is drawn through the filter 25. Of course, the filter 25 functions to remove any fine dirt particles remaining in the airstream. As a result, clean air passes through the outlet 27 while dirt and debris is captured in the dirt cup 24. It should, of course, be appreciated that the illustrated embodiment is just one of a number of possible structures and that the dirt cup may, for example, be replaced with a porous filter bag held in an internal chamber in the canister assembly 16 if desired.

During vacuum cleaner operation the rotary agitator 20 scrubs and beats dirt and debris from the nap of an underlying carpet being cleaned. Simultaneously the suction generator 22 draws air entrained with that dirt and debris into the suction inlet 18. That dirty air is then directed to the dirt collection vessel 24 where the dirt and debris is trapped. The relatively clean air is then moved over the suction generator 22 in order to cool the motor of the suction generator. That air is then passed through a final filter 30 before being exhausted to the environment through the exhaust vent 34.

In accordance with the present invention the vacuum cleaner 10 is equipped with a displaceable height adjustment assembly, generally designated by reference numeral 40, that is schematically illustrated in FIGS. 3 a and 3 b. The height adjustment assembly 40 includes a cooperating actuator 42 and carriage 44. A pair of ground engaging wheels 46 are connected to the carriage 44. As illustrated the actuator 42 includes two cams 48 and the carriage 44 includes two cooperating cam followers 50.

As further illustrated in FIGS. 3 a and 3 b, a bare floor wiper 52 is carried on the nozzle assembly 14. The wiper 52 may take the form of a brush, bristles or a strip of material such as felt, cloth, rubber or the like. In addition, a switch 54 is mounted to the housing 12 and, more particularly, the nozzle assembly 14. The operation of the switch 54 will be described in greater detail below.

The height adjustment assembly 40 is selectively displaceable between one or more carpet cleaning positions as illustrated in FIG. 3 a and a bare floor cleaning position as illustrated in FIG. 3 b. In the bare floor cleaning position the height adjustment assembly 40 engages the switch 54. As a result the switch 54 interrupts the drive to the rotary agitator 20. Accordingly, the rotary agitator 20 becomes stationary and as a consequence bare floor cleaning efficiency is enhanced. Alternatively, the switch may slow the agitator from a carpet cleaning rotational speed of, for example, between 1,000 to 6,000 rpm to a bare floor cleaning, of between 1 to 1,500 rpm.

More specifically, an agitator rotating at high speeds generates air currents that have a tendency to push dirt and debris across a bare floor away from the suction inlet 18. As a consequence, a rotating agitator 20 actually interferes with efficient bare floor cleaning. By slowing or interrupting the drive to the rotary agitator 20, the switch 54 functions to eliminate those air currents that otherwise reduce bare floor cleaning efficiency.

Where the vacuum cleaner 10 is provided with a separate agitator drive motor, the switch 54 may simply function to reduce or interrupt power to that drive motor when engaged by the height adjustment assembly 40 in the bare floor cleaning position (note FIG. 3 b). Alternatively, where a single motor drives both the suction generator 22 and the rotary agitator 20, engagement of the switch 54 with the height adjustment assembly 40 actuates a transmission to slow or interrupt the drive from the motor to the rotary agitator without slowing or interrupting the drive from the motor to the fan of the suction generator.

Advantageously, the height adjustment assembly 40 acts as a single control that simultaneously lowers the operating height of the nozzle assembly 14, moves the bare floor wiper 52 into engagement with the floor F and controls the drive to the rotary agitator 20 through the switch 54. The use of a single sliding control to achieve all three functions significantly enhances operator convenience and represents a valuable benefit.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, while only one rotary agitator 18 is illustrated, the device could include two or more rotary agitators. Further while the illustrated embodiment is an upright vacuum cleaner, the apparatus of the present invention includes other floor cleaning appliances such as canister vacuum cleaners and extractors.

The embodiment was chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled. The drawings and preferred embodiment do not and are not intended to limit the ordinary meaning of the claims and their fair and broad interpretation in any way. 

1. A floor cleaning apparatus comprising: a housing including a canister assembly and a nozzle assembly; a suction generator carried on said housing; a dirt collection vessel carried on said housing; a suction inlet provided on said nozzle assembly; a rotary agitator carried on said nozzle assembly; a bare floor wiper carried on said nozzle assembly; a switch for slowing or interrupting drive to said rotary agitator, said switch being carried on said housing; and a displaceable height adjustment assembly, said height adjustment assembly being displaceable between one or more carpet cleaning positions and a bare floor cleaning position, said height adjustment assembly engaging said switch and interrupting drive to said rotary agitator when in said bare floor cleaning position.
 2. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said height adjustment assembly includes an actuator, a carriage and a pair of ground engaging wheels connected to said carriage.
 3. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein said carriage includes at least one cam follower and said actuator includes at least one cam for engaging said at least one cam follower.
 4. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 3, further including an agitator drive motor connected to said switch.
 5. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said canister assembly is pivotally connected to said nozzle assembly.
 6. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said dirt collection vessel is a filter bag.
 7. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said dirt collection vessel is a dirt cup.
 8. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 7, wherein said dirt cup includes a cylindrical sidewall and a tangentially directed inlet.
 9. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 8, further including a first filter in said dirt cup.
 10. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 9, further including a second filter downstream from said suction generator.
 11. A method of controlling operation of a floor cleaning apparatus equipped with a rotary agitator, a bare floor wiper and a nozzle assembly, comprising: providing said floor cleaning apparatus with a single control that simultaneously lowers an operating height of said nozzle assembly, moves said bare floor wiper into engagement with said floor and controls drive to said rotary agitator.
 12. A method of controlling operation of a floor cleaning apparatus equipped with a rotary agitator, a bare floor wiper and a nozzle assembly, comprising: providing said floor cleaning apparatus with a single control that simultaneously lowers said nozzle assembly relative to the ground and controls drive to said rotary agitator when placed in a bare floor cleaning position. 